Harry Potter and the Reward of the Phoenix
by CorgiFromSpace
Summary: Priori Incantatem did more than anyone expected on that cold night in the graveyard. It set into motion events that would take nearly a year to reach completion. But those events would change things for Harry Potter more than anyone could imagine. OotP.
1. Chapter 1

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**Chapter 1**

The cool night air swept into his bones as he lay on the cold, hard ground. He could feel the grass move beneath him as tiny ants crawled out from the weight of his unmoving body. Every inch of his body ached as if he had not moved in years and was permanently frozen in place. The low rise and fall of his chest quickly allayed his fears of being dead.

A thick groan echoed suddenly into his ears and he was only slightly surprised to realise it had been his own. The sound, however sudden, only managed to enforce the complete silence of the world around him. It was a painful silence, one born of mystery and evil.

'_It shouldn't be so quiet.'_ He thought to himself. _'There should be a baby, and laughter. And the warm smell of breakfast. And her. She should be here.'_ Panic overcame him when he realised she was missing. The stifling fear sprung his eyes open and he blinked in the darkness.

'_It's night.'_ He thought, the obvious truth striking him unawares. The full moon shone above, light filtering down on him, taunting him with memories of things he could hardly picture.

Once his eyes adjusted to the silvery light, he looked around himself. He was standing in a graveyard near a headstone which had been completely halved by some sort of explosion. He didn't recognise the area, although something told him he should.

Something round and hard prodded into his foot when he walked forward. As he crouched down, the moonlight revealed it to be a wand. A small smile graced his face as he picked it up and felt the familiar weight as it settle into his hand.

"_Lumos_." He whispered, feeling a slight tingle as the wand's tip lit. It reminded him on the first magic he had ever done. He supposed his magic had been dormant for years, although why it would have been he had no idea.

He cast his gaze around again, using the brighter light of his wand to pick up on things he had totally missed in his initial inspection of the area. He was startled to see another bright light in the distance, as if there was another witch or wizard using the Illuminating Charm only a hundred metres or so away.

He silently extinguished his light and began to slowly creep towards the alien glow. It was moving in a wide arch, so he assumed that the caster of the charm was looking around in the same way he himself had just been.

Every few steps, he paused and watched the light as it was blocked by the shadow of the caster. As he near, he caught occasional glimpses of a flash of red reflected to him in the wand light.

It distracted him enough that he didn't notice a large stone until his foot collided with it and sent it scuttling across the ground until it stopped, resting against a headstone just beside the mysterious figure.

The shadow spun, its wand held at the ready. He flung his arm up to shield his eyes as the light stung them.

"Who are you?" The shadow asked hoarsely. He worked out that it was a female talking,, the voice unwittingly revealing her fear.

"Look, I'm not here to hurt you," He said and she snorted in disbelief. "No, really, I'm not. I really couldn't even if I wanted to, which I don't."

"I don't believe you!" She replied. He began to wonder why it seemed so familiar, although the coarseness made it difficult to tell. _'Does my voice sound like that too?'_

"Move your hand, show yourself!" She continued.

"I would, but I'm more than a little worried that you'd blast my head off, or at the least accidentally blind me." She lowered her wand a fraction, allowing the light to shine on his lower chest instead. "Thank you."

He slowly lowered his hand from his face and let the softer light wash over him. He heard a soft thud as the wand slipped from the woman's hand but he ignored it. The light flickered but remained, lighting all their features softly from below.

His dark eyes met hers, their bright green depths drawing all his focus until suddenly she moved forward and he felt he collide with his chest.

He buried his face in her long, red hair as he held her tightly to him. Her sobs were muffled, but her shoulders shook as he pressed soothing kisses into her hair.

"Oh, James, I thought..." She cried. James shushed her, letting one hand stroke her back as the other tilted her chin back up so he could look in her eyes once more.

'It's alright Lily." He said. Lily's face was damp with tears, matching the front of his robes. "We're both here, everything will be fine."

"But James," Lily pulled away from his grasp. "Where is here? And why can't I remember anything about how I got here?"

"I don't know, Lils." James whispered, a feeling of dread building in his stomach, washing over him as he thought about his lost memory. The last he could remember... "What's the last thing you do remember?"

His wife was quiet for a few moments as she cast her mind back, before the colour drained from her face. "It was _him_. You told me to get Harry and get out of there- oh, Merlin, James – he killed you! I couldn't get out and he came after Harry... I remember laughter... Then I woke up here."

She stopped speaking and clapped her hands to her mouth to stifle a gasp.

"James, please tell me you've seen him! Tell me our baby's okay!"

"I'm so sorry Lily. I wish I could tell you he's fine, that someone saved him... Oh, Harry... I'm so sorry."

Lily let out a keening cry as she began to weep for her son. James enveloped her in his arms and held her to his chest as they sunk to the ground. He felt his own cheeks dampen with tears as he tried to fathom the fate of his darling little Harry.

Hours later, Lily's breathing had evened out and she lay asleep in James' arms. James, however, was far from sleep- his mind was full of memories and theories. It wasn't until the first light of dawn began to peek over the horizon that he fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**Chapter 2**

They awoke to an overcast sky, with rain threatening to pout down on both of them. The sunlight, no matter how gloomy, served to give a much better view of the cemetery. They quickly established its muggle origins and were disappointed to know that they wouldn't find magical assistance easily nearby.

They decided to check out the town anyway. It was a smallish place, Little Hangleton, and they found no help. They were told, however, of Greater Hangleton, and decided to check it out the next day. Both James and Lily thought that their best move was to return to the cemetery, in the hope that whatever or whoever that brought them back to life would show up and help them.

It was around midday when they began to notice something was wrong. They were both feeling rather sick, although Lily was worse off than James. Their magic was growing weak inside them and it was weaker the closer to the cemetery they got.

However, once they made their way inside the cemetery and became aware of the sickness, it was too late. They couldn't leave. No matter how close they got to the gate, they found themselves veering off course suddenly.

"James, don't bother!" Lily called as her husband tried again to walk out the gate. He ignored her and just like the last time, found himself a good twenty metres from where he wanted to be.

"Damn it!" He swore, kicking a nearby gravestone. "What the hell is going on here?"

"I don't know, but we won't get any closer to a solution no matter how many times you walk at the gate!" Lily snapped as she lowered herself to the ground, leaning against a tree for support. She could feel how pale her face was.

James turned to argue but swore again when he saw the lack of colour on his wife's face, and her body collapsed on the ground. He moved quickly to her side and brushed her hair off her sweaty forehead. She was hot with fever and the strain of fighting the curse was beginning to take its toll on her. Her outburst earlier had taken a lot out of her and she was starting to feel dizzy.

"Lils, I'm so sorry," James said as he gently stroked his wife's hair. She smiled up at him, still amazed at his ability to switch between emotions in seconds, even though she had known him for years. With a pang in her heart, she wondered if Harry would have gotten the same trait.

"It isn't your fault, James," She assured him. "But if you'd sit still and calm down for a moment, I'll tell you a way we might be able to leave."

James nodded and arranged himself more comfortably against the tree. Lily nestled her head into his shoulder.

"Our first option is apparition," Lily began but James shook his head in disagreement. "You're right though, I doubt it will work, given our energy and the curse surrounding this place, which means we are left with one option."

"And what would that be?" James asked. Lily chewed on her bottom lip nervously and he sighed in frustration. "Come on Lily, if you have a way out, tell me!"

"Alright," Lily relented. "But it's going to be hard and you're going to have to leave me here."

"What? No way!" James exclaimed. Lily shushed him and continued.

"It wouldn't be for long, and I can't do what it takes."

"Fine. I'm not happy about this, but go on."

"You're going to need to be Prongs. I don't know whether you'll be able to transform for very long, not with our magic the way it is, but you may last long enough to move outside the spell holding us here."

"I can carry you on my back! You can come with mer. I won't leave you anywhere."

"No, James. Not in the state you'll be in. No, listen. Once you're out, apparate somewhere safe- like Hogwarts. Get Dumbledore and bring him back here. He'll be strong enough to get us both out of here."

"Lils," James pleaded. 'I'll take you with me, you can apparate to Hogwarts too!"

"James, I can't apparate anywhere, and before you even think about it, you'll be to drained for side-along." Lily kissed him gently on the lips and stroked his cheek. "I'll still be here tomorrow. Now go."

James ran his hand through her hair one final time, then he stood and moved away from her. He closed his eyes and began to fall to the ground, his legs and arms morphing into thick, powerful legs with wide, heavy hooves. His body stretched and his face elongated until a large stag stood in his place.

Prongs lowered his head and nuzzled Lily's neck. She lifted a hand and stroked his face, then pointed at the gate. The great stag looked down at her with sorrowful eyes and Lily pushed him away.

"Go please," She whispered, and Prongs moved away, glancing back quickly before he began to gallop away. Lily watched him go then let her eyes slide closed as she welcomed the bliss of unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**Authors Note: **I though I put this in chapter one, but it turns out I didn't. I will update on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Some chapters are quite short, and I apologise for that, but it needs to be that way.

I forgot to put this up yesterday.

**Chapter 3**

Prongs travelled quickly through the forest, feeling the curse slip away while he cantered. When he felt he had travelled far enough away, he morphed back into his human form.

James was exhausted. He stumbled to the ground and took in deep gasping breaths of air. Once his heart rate calmed, he stood and tried to focus on Hogsmeade. Unbidden, images flashed into his mind of days spent with the marauders exploring the small magic village. He saw Peter and Remus leaning against the Honeydukes wall, Peter stuffing his face as remus casually watched James and Sirius wrestle in the snow.

James groaned in irritation and sadness (knowing that one of his best friends had sold them out to Voldemort). He tried to block the memories of his time at Hogwarts and focus only on his destination, but the more he tried to block them, the more the memories came.

Desperate to leave his memories in their place, he began to apparate, a picture of The Three Broomsticks in his mind. But as he felt himself transporting, a memory of his friends laughing faces around a table at Rosmerta's bar managed to pop to the front of his mind.

As James vanished from sight, a single name rang in his head.

Sirius Black.

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><p><strong>Authors Note: <strong>Thank you all for the reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

No. 12 Grimmauld Place was silent. For a place of such importance, it was incredibly lonesome and empty. It's status as the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix should have meant that it would inspire hope in those who took refuge in the grand house. Instead, the house looked neglected and foreboding, with its dark halls and candle-lit rooms that seemed to shiver with dark magic.

The only full time inhabitant of the house was its owner, Sirius Orion Black. Various members of the Order stayed at the house at various times, but at the end of the day, they had houses and families to return to. Currently, Sirius was joined by his long-time friend, Remus Lupin.

Sirius thumbed through an old photo album he had found in one of the many bedrooms. It showed pictures of smiling boys enjoying themselves beside the Great Lake at Hogwarts, travelling on the Hogwarts Express, creating chaos in classes and generally enjoying their youth.

They were, of course, the Marauders. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs they had called themselves and for years they had been virtually inseparable. But now, only two truly remained. One was dead, one his betrayer, one forgotten and one forced to hide.

Sirius barked out his fierce laugh as he gazed on his old friends, back when nothing seemed to matter. Sometimes, very rarely, he could look back on his Hogwarts days with a smile. More often, however, the memories were too painful to linger on, always tinged with deaths in the future or Wormtail's betrayal – which Sirius thought genuinely caused everything to fall apart. Without that Sirius would be raising his godson, Remus wouldn't have spent years alone and neither of them would have had to have mourned the death of James and Lily.

With a sigh, he closed the album and returned it to its draw. When Harry returned in the summer, he'd get it back out and recount endless stories about pranks and classes and full moons.

Last night had been a full moon. Sirius had joined Remus in the lowest basement – Remus having taken his wolfsbane potion – and had spent the night wrestling and reliving their many memories of transformations. However, when the sun rose, they were drawn back into remembering that their number should have been doubled.

A sudden, shrill whistle pierced Sirius' thoughts and he was startled into action. The wards had been breached – someone was attacking the house.

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><p><em>Of the many protective spells on the house, the most impressive by far were the Fidelus Charm and the Credo Charm. On their own, they were astounding, but the combination of the two meant that No. 12 Grimmauld Place was virtually untouchable by Death Eaters.<em>

_The Credo Charm had been placed on the house generations ago by one of Sirius' more paranoid ancestors. Similarly to the Fidelus Charm, it worked by only allowing entry to people who were invited by the owner of the house or a trusted direct descendant. Unlike the Fidelus Charm, however, the Credo Charm does not require a formal invitation – if the owner subconsciously welcomes someone to the house, they would be given access._

_The result of this was that any member of the Order could enter because they Sirius had invited them as a whole. Anyone Dumbledore – as Secret Keeper offered the house to was also given entrance, because he had the trust or Sirius._

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><p>When Sirius arrived in the entrance hall, there was total chaos. His mother's portrait's shrieks echoed around, combining with the small pops and groans the house was emitting. In the centre of the room, at the heart of the disturbance, was a dark form, about the size and shape of your average adult male. 'He' was encased in a bubble of magic – inside which vicious bolts of lightning were shooting into the man causing him to buckle over again. The man – for Sirius could now clearly see him 0 forced himself to stand and briefly his eyes locked with the owner of the house, before a particularly stronf shock of lightning forced the stranger to his knees with a cry.<p>

The brief moment was all it took. Sirius charged past his mothers portrait, yelling for Remus as he went. He ripped out his wand and began to attempt to remove the charm that was killing the newcomer slowly.

"Sirius, what's going on?" The voice startled Sirius and he turned to see his second cousin coming towards him, surprising him because he didn't know she had arrived. At the same time, his old friend Remus Lupin arrived from the opposite direction. Sirius wasted no time.

"Tonks, floo McGonagall. I don't care what she's doing, this is more important." Tonks nodded and rushed off to do so. "Remus, I need your help to stabilise the house before it kills him!"

"What? Sirius…" The werewolf was interrupted.

"There's no time! Please, trust me on this!"

Remus didn't hesitate any longer. He knew from experience that to do so would have consequences beyond his wildest expectations.

"What do you need me to do?" He asked and Sirius flashed him a grateful smile.

"Try and cast a shield between him and the lightning while I call off the charm," He replied, as he began to mutter the counter-charm.

"Protego!" Remus shouted, extending the shield over the man, where it lasted only a few seconds before it faded out. "Protego! Protego!"

Sirius;s attempts to disable the charm were also proving to be ineffective. As he cast the spell again, the thought struck him.

"It's the worng one!"

No sooner than the thought had crossed his lips, Tonks re-emerged looking rather frantic. Of all the nights to be stuck at HQ…

"She wasn't there!" She informed the two struggling friends. "I managed to find Flitwick he had no idea where McGonagall could have gone."

"Damn it!" Sirius swore, "She's got the notes from the goddamn secret keeper! I need her to give him the address!"

"Sirius!" Remus called, frantically digging in his pockcets for something. He smiled briefly when he found it. "Here!"

Sirius gladly excepted the small scrap of parchment with Dumbledore's handwriting on it. He carefully levitated to be right in front of the intruders face.

"Read it!" He called, and the man lifted his head once again, although he seemed to struggle with keeping it up. His gaze found it's way to the scrap and a few moments later, the storm and the bubble dissipated.

The man collapsed onto the floor, and Sirius was quick to make his way over to him, turning him onto his back.

"Merlin!" Remus exclaimed, as he saw who the man was. "Harry?"

Sirius reached over and put his hand on Remus' arm. When the other man looked at him, Sirius shook his head slightly.

"Not Harry,"He said hoarsely. "No scar."

It was true. The famous scar on Harry Potter's head was easily used to establish the identity of the young wizard. The intruder, despite his similarity to the boy was missing the lightning bolt.

"Not Harry," Sirius said again, his voice stronger. "See this scar here though?" He pointed to a scar on the mans chin, one that was faded. "First year, tripped on a trick stair and smashed it on the stairs above. This one-" he pointed out one on the man's shoulder, one he had moved the robes to see. "Bludger, second year."

"You're joking Sirius," Remus said. "You're not saying what I think you are-"

Sirius interrupted, pointing out yet another scar. "Third year, DADA class." Another. "Third year again, WHomping Willow." Elbow. "Fourth year." Shin. "Sixth year." Knee. "Third year."

"SIRIUS BLACK!" Remus yelled, silencing his friend. "Tell me this is all some sick attempt at a joke. Please, Padfoot…"

"I won't lie to you, Remus," Sirius said. "It's him. It's James Potter!"


	5. Chapter 5

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

The sky had long since clouded over and was threatening to rain on Lily as she struggled back into consciousness. Her head throbbed painfully, creating dark flashes in her vision. Her arms felt heavy, her legs felt weak and her breaths were coming in short, erratic bursts.

She silently sent out a prayer that James was okay and had found help. He was all she had left, and if she lost him… Her heart was damaged enough at the thought that her little Harry was gone… Losing James would be unbearable.

In the back of her mind, Lily still held hope that Harry was alive. She had sent the warning to Dumbledore, maybe he had arrived in time to save him. Maybe her precious baby boy was still alive…

There was also the possibility that this was all some sort of horrid, vivid, nightmare, and she'd soon wake up in her own bed, next to James, with Harry only a few steps away in his nursery. Somehow, that seemed less and less likely each passing minute.

A single drop of rain fell onto Lily's head, and she shivered, drawing her cloak closer to her. It provided little warmth, but it had been charmed to resist water, so she would at least remain dry. Looking back, she regretted not charming it to remain warm like it had been suggested.

Lily frowned as she remembered that day. They were just out of Hogwarts, and she'd met up with James, Sirius, Remus and Peter at the Leaky Cauldron. The five had been so carefree. It was not long after that when Remus started disappearing for long stretches of time. He had confessed to Lily that he was searching for a job and didn't want to tell the others because of the protectiveness, especially when it can to matters involving his lycanthropy.

It was Peter, surprisingly, who came up with the idea of charming the cloaks, and Lily felt bad looking back on how surprised she was. He may not have been as gifted as the other boys, but Peter wasn't useless. He had a good brain for things that would make life easier, and he could easily have gone on to make galleons selling such inventions. James and Sirius credited this creativity to Peter's laziness. It had been snowing on that day, long ago. They were all wet and freezing. Peter had complained, wishing there was some easy way to stop the cloaks from getting wet and cold. The other Marauders laughed when he blushed, and then clumsily cast the charms. They all followed suit. Lily liked the cold, however, and so only charmed her cloak to repel water.

The rain was falling harder now, and the wind sent cold air blowing fiercely against Lily's side. She was numb inside, however, as she contemplated, for the first time, the fate of her friends.

Peter had to be dead. He was their Secret Keeper, and Voldemort had known where they were. But the only person who knew about Peter was Sirius, and he was devoted to James, would die before selling any of his friends Voldemort.

Oh god! What if he was dead too?

_But there was a spy!_ Lily remembered. _What if… No, he'd never… It made sense though… But why?_


	6. Chapter 6

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Harry Potter collapsed onto his bed, exhausted. The OWLs were just as horrible as he had been told they were. It had only been two days since they started, and he was swamped.

He picked up one of his books from beside his bed and skimmed it briefly, before throwing it aside. He closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he was asleep.

_He was standing in a cemetery. He could see the outlines of headstones surrounding him, and feel the coldness of fog soaking into his bones._

_He heard the scuttling of a rock and spun to see a figure coming out of the fog. A large set of antlers emerged, followed by the body of a large stag. Harry was startled to see his Patronus. It wasn't meant to be there._

_Tentatively, he reached out a hand to touch it, but it moved past him. He turned, watching its movements. It stopped, and bent it's great head, giving Harry a slight glimpse of red hair before the world dissolved._

_He was now standing in the great hall, packed to the brim with students. They were all staring at him. In front of him stood Ron and Hermione, their hands clasped and identical expressions of shock held their faces frozen._

_Ginny stood behind them, tears rolling down her cheeks as she smiled. Fred and George stood on either side of their sister, their faces registering barely concealed excitement._

_The rest of the population disappeared as Sirius and Remus appeared beside him. They were both smiling and looked to Harry to be years younger, as though the stress of Harry's lifetime had melted away, leaving clear, stunning copies of happiness in its place._

_Their smiles were stripped away as a dementor swooped down on them. Harry desperately cast the Patronus charm, but all he could produce was mist. The dementor came closer and closer, pulling back its hood…_

_…To reveal Umbridge, a manic smile on her face. She raised her wand and sent out a flash of green light…_

_… _and cruel, evil laughter filled Harry's ears as he sat up, alarmed, in his bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Lily leant heavily against the headstone. She had woken again a few hours ago, and decided that she needed to leave now, before she lost the small amount of energy she had left. She was heading towards the main gate – she discovered that by only focusing on the ground in front of her, she could move towards the gate without the curse forcing her away.

She was getting closer, only a few more metres away now, but it was becoming harder and harder to keep her eyes open.

Lily staggered forward, tripping over her feet as she desperately grabbed for the iron bars of the gate. She pushed with all her might, swinging the heavy gate open and falling out of the cemetery ground.

The lifting of the curse came instantly, along with a wave of nausea which overwhelmed Lily. She sunk to the ground slowly, finally letting her eyes slip closed, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

Once again, she welcomed the comfort of unconsciousness.**  
><strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Sirius looked up wearily as Remus walked back into the room, carrying a tray with some food on it before him. The two friends shared a brief smile as the werewolf sad on a chair on the opposite side of the bed. Between him and Sirius, the unconscious body of their oldest friend lay sprawled on the bed. During the night he'd woken briefly, but he was dazed and disorientated. He had screamed endlessly, shouting for his wife and son until his voice was hoarse and his face wet with tears.

Remus and Sirius had sat with him wiping the tears from his face with a wet cloth and cooling the fever which sprung up around midnight. They forced him to drink and watched as he slept. It had become a nightmare – they had him alive, right in front of them, only for him to be slowly slipping away.

"Remus," Sirius whispered, "Do you think he's really here? Is this really James, lying here?"

"I don't know, Sirius," Remus replied just as quietly. "I don't know how he got here, but I am hoping, praying to whoever out there is listening that this isn't just some rotten trick, a terrible dream."

There conversation was disrupted as James groaned from the bed. He drew their attention as he muttered in his sleep.

"Padfoot… Sirius… Why Peter?... Moony… sorry…"


	9. Chapter 9

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**A/N: **Sorry, I meant to have this ready yesterday, but I spent the day finishing my costume for the Premiere on Wednesday.

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Harry looked around the Gryffindor common room with a slight smile. Their DADA exam was taking place the next day, and all the fifth years were hard at revision. He was a little proud to see that none seemed to have any trouble with the practical side of the spells. Even Neville seemed comfortable. Harry liked to think that was mostly due to the work of the DA.

The theory side, however, seemed to be a difference thing altogether. Lavender and Parvati had their third notes out to revise Dark Creatures. Ron was sitting with Dean and Seamus trying to remember things that they had been taught by 'Moody' about the Unforgivable Curses. Hermione was sitting alone in a corner going over her notes from Umbridge's class "just in case".

For the first time wince their exams had begun, Harry was relieved. After all, it was DADA. He'd been fighting the Dark Arts since he was 15 months old. He thought that he had the hang of it.

So he spent the night relaxing with a bottle of butter beer he'd smuggled in from the Kitchens, his Firebolt and his broom servicing kit. He dosed off in front of the fire at midnight to the sounds of pages turning in revision books lulling him into a peaceful sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Lily was growing tired of constantly waking, then sleeping again. She was physically exhausted, mentally drained and emotionally broken down. Every part of her body aached with pain from trying to leave, and even now that she had escaped, comfortable rest was well out of her reach.

Still, she had to find James. It was vitally important. She couldn't risk him returning to the cemetery, in case the curse was strong enough to not be broken by someone like Dumbledore…

Lily prayed that he had listened to her and gone straight to Hogwarts. If he had gone somewhere else, she would never find him. The world was a massive, absolutely huge, place and he could have gone anywhere.

Hogwarts was a safe option. Even if James wasn't there, the professors would help her. Dumbledore could help her.

So Lily continued to journey away from the cemetery. She knew she had broken the magical barriers, but she figured it was safer to apparate from further away. Or was it disapparate? Even after all her years in the wizarding world, she still had trouble differentiating between them.

She came to a rest at sunset, under the spreading branches of an old willow tree. It was knurled and old, but held a mystical beauty that resounded deep into Lily's core. A slight stirring in the branches above her head startled her into looking up. She snickered quietly when she spotted a Bowtruckle. _It's a wand tree_ she thought.

Despite her attachment to the tree, Lily knew she had to leave. She focused her magic on apparation, and quickly pictured Hogwarts.

She disapparated with an audible 'pop'.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**A/N: **A day early, because I'm having a marathon tomorrow of the HP movie, and therefore will not have time to upload. In other news, the Premiere is this week! It's on Wednesday for me, and I cannot wait!

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

The winged boars that flanked the Hogwarts gates cut an impressive silhouette against the starry night sky. The castle loomed distinctively in the background, its windows dark in the dead of the night.

Security was tight, not only in the castle proper, but in the grounds as well. Hagrid patrolled the Forbidden Forest and various staff took turns to guard any possible entry point.

Severus Snape moved closer to the great gates, his footsteps silent on the crisp spring grass. He thought he had heard the distinctive sound of someone apparating nearby, and he didn't want to risk being unprepared for an attack.

A faint sound pierced the silence, which Snape recognised as the sound of footsteps.

"Hello?" A soft voice called, and he froze, afraid that he had not been as stealthy as he had thought. "Is there anyone there? Please, I need help."

Snape was cautious, but he didn't recognise the voice as a death eater, although it was eerily familiar. He lit the end of his wand with a silent spell, and directed it to the place where the sound originated.

"Who is there?" He called, and heard a startled gasp.

"Sev?" The voiced called. Snape felt his heart contract. He peered even more intently into the darkness. He stumbled back a few steps when he recognised the face peering back at him from between the iron bars of the gate.

"Lily?" He breathed. "But how? You've been dead for nearly 15 years."

"What?" Lily looked startled, and pale. "But… Sev? Is that you? Merlin, you look old!"

Snape looked at the woman curiously. His keen eye picked up on her glazed eyes and ssaw the sheen of sweat across her brow. He flicked his wand and muttered the words to open the gates. As they swung open, Lily tottered in, looking dazed.

"Sev? Where are we?" She asked as she stumbled forward and Snape was forced to grab her arm to stop her falling. "I don't feel so good."

Snape was glad he was already holding her up as she promptly fainted into his arms. For a moment, he just stared at her face as It was lit by the wand. Then he swept a hand under her knees and lifted her up, cradled safely in his arms.

He knew, oh how well he knew, that this could be a Death Eater trick. But he was sure that it wasn't, that this was the real Lily Evans Potter in his arms. He knew it. And if anyone were to know the difference between a real and a fake Lily, it would be Severus Snape.

The castle had never seemed so far away as it did to Snape that night. It felt like an eternity before he reached the heavy doors leading into the Entrance Hall, but he got there. Once inside, he called for a House Elf, and told it to inform Madam Pomfrey that her help would be needed. He was halfway to the Hospital Wing before he noticed it had gone.

The Healer met him at the door, and they hurried inside. Snape gently lay Lily down on a bed and tenderly brushed the hair off her face, while Madam Pomfrey expertly began her initial examination of the patient.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**A/N: **So, I saw Deathly Hallows Part 2. All I can say is... Wow. It was very good. I won't say anymore, because not everyone has seen it, but it was well worth the frostbite and stiff neck to be there for the midnight screening.

Another short one today, but on Tuesday, I promise you'll get an extra long update.

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Something was going on in the castle. More than just the OWLs, which were halfway over. Harry was almost certain it had something to do with him. Of course, it _was _June, and Harry was overdue his dose of danger for the month – Maybe the problem was that the teacher had noticed it as well.

Whatever it was, it had Snape in a right fit. He spent more time than usual hiding away. What startled students was that he was hiding away in the hospital wing, rather than in the dungeons, where he usually lurked.

"Maybe he's seeing Madam Pomfrey!" Ginny suggested at breakfast on Saturday morning. Ron promptly choked on his eggs, while everyone else who heard pushed their plates away in disgust.

"Thank you so much for that lovely mental image, Ginny," Harry said. "Although, I certainly could have lived without it."

"Urgh, me too," Ron added. "We couldn't be so lucky as to have him mortally injured, could we, or at least, suffering some kind of horrible illness."

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "He's a teacher!"

The others collapsed into fits of laughter as Ron's ears went red under her angry scolding.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**A/N: **Here you go, a lovely longish update for you all... More to come on Thursday, as we start getting into the good parts of the story...

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

The room was silent, as it had been for the past three days. James had stopped talking in his sleep the day before, and Sirius was moody. He was constantly harassing Remus and venting his frustration on Kreacher. Remus on the other hand became more withdrawn – he rarely left James' bedside, where he sat clutching his old friend's hand.

The members of the Order all agreed that Headquarters were always incredibly depressing, but during the days following James' arrival they reached a level beyond the normal. No one stayed longer than they had too. The day when James awoke was waited for with baited breath.

"How long has sit been, Moony?" Sirius asked as e flopped down into one of the cushioned chairs beside James' bed.

"Nearly fifteen years." Remus replied, receiving a pillow to the face and an angry glare in reply.

"Very funny." Sirius stated. "You know what I meant."  
>"Padfoot, you need to calm down. I know how you feel, all right? It's been just under a week…"<p>

"A week, Moony! Don't try and make it out that it isn't a big deal. And you have know idea how I feel!" Sirius angrily snapped. "You can't possibly know how I feel – I feel like – I want him here, Moony, but… I don't want to face what it means!"

"Pads, he won't blame you – James would never think that you could betray him like that!"

"You did, Moony." Sirius whispered. Remus winced. "Sorry, Remus, that was a low blow, even for me… But Remus-"

Sirius stopped short as James let out a pitiful moan. His previously unresponsive body curled into a tight ball. Tremors rocked his tired body, and he clutched desperately at his head, where a blinding pain was pounding against his skull.

"James?" Remus whispered, leaning over his friend, laying a gentle hand against his forehead. James' eyes snapped open, and scanned the room?

"Remus?" He asked, and the werewolf nodded. "Sirius?"

The other man nodded, and James let out a vicious snarl, throwing Remus away from him, launching himself at his oldest friend.

Sirius didn't know what was happening. One moment he was watching James wake-up, the next he felt a grinding pain and blood pouring down his face.

"James!" Remus called in protest, reaching for his wand to restrain James, only to find it already in the hands of the attacking man. "James, what are you doing?"

"Trust me, Remus! What ever he's told you is a lie! He betrayed us!" James shouted angrily.

"What? James, I would never!" Sirius protested. James' only response was to send a painful stinging hex back at him.

"Liar! No one else knew about Peter being the Secret Keeper! You told Voldemort, you filthy Death Eater!" James was furious. Remus was worried that he'd end up seriously hurting his friend in his anger.

"You killed Peter – left us for your master! Me and Lily – Merlin, and my little Harry! Sirius how could you?" James fell silent for a moment. "Answer me!"

Sirius lifted his gaze to meet James', his grey eyes brimming with sadness and regret.

"Prongs…" he whispered, and James Stumbled back at the ache and hurt in Sirius' voice. "I'm so sorry… Please, forgive me, please."

"Sirius, don't! You did nothing wrong!" Remus moved to stand next to the dog animagus. "Don't let him do this to you, you've suffered enough!"

"He could never suffer enough!" James roared.

"12 years in Azkaban!" Remus howled back, startling his friends as he rarely ever raised his voice. "A death sentence for an innocent man! You know, James! You know Sirius would never – could never – betray you! It's Peter you should hate!"

"Why would… 12 years?" James whispered. No one spoke for some time, until James let out a shocked yell. His hand flew to his head as the pain suddenly returned. Neither Sirius nor Remus moved, concerned they might worsen the pain.

It eventually stopped and James lifted his head, tears wetting his cheeks.

"Shit, Sirius…" He whispered hoarsely. "Merlin, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me! I know you would never…"

"I did, James! I did betray you!" Sirius cried. "I may as well have done everything you accused me off! I told you to use Peter. I believed his lies about Remus. I wasn't there that night. I didn't save you!"

"But you're here now, both of you." James continued. "And you've told Harry about me and Lily – oh Merlin! Harry! He thinks I'm a bully, he's disappointed in me! Where is he? He was here, right? I saw him…"

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked confused. "Harry hasn't been here since Christmas, when –"

"- when Arthur Weasley was attacked by Voldemort's snake!" James interrupted. He was met with blank, confused gazes.

"How did you know about that?" Remus exclaimed.

"I remember watching him≥ He was angry – every right to be if you ask me – about being kept out of the loop. But I remember more than just that.

"I remember the night Harry was left at the Dursley's and you went to Azkaban, Sirius. I remember you telling stories about what Harry would be like as you lay in your cell… And Moony, the first time you used the Wolfsbane potion, I watched as you howled at the room in anger, then slept with dreams of the four of us wandering the forest… Lily was always watching over Harry, but – "

"Good Godric, James! You were watching out for is, weren't you?" Sirius said. "I always wanted to think that you were, and, well, you've seen Harry's Patronus. I knew you were always there, looking down on us…"

James smiled as he though of the silvery stag which he had been able to defend Harry through, in his own way. It still warmed his heart to think that his son thought so much of him that a corporeal form of Harry's happiness and protection took the form of his animagus transformation.

"Lily…" Remus said suddenly. "James, when you came back, did Lily come too?"

"Merlin!" James swore. "The graveyard! Lily's still there! We need to go get help! The curse- she'll be in so much pain!"

James, calm yourself!" Sirius called as a wave of nausea forced James to sit. "You've been awake for a while, not to mention rather active." James winced as he looked again at the blood coating Sirius' jaw and robes. "You need to rest… We'll contact McGonagall first thing in the morning. Lily will be fine, I promise."

James protested but was unable to fight the exhaustion that plagued him. He eventually lay back down on the large bed and fell back into a deep slumber.

"Do you think Lily will be okay?" Sirius asked, but Remus heard the unspoken question.

"I doubt she'll try to break your nose, Paddy. She's far more rational that James ever has been." He said, resting a comforting hand on Sirius' shoulder. "We'll go floo McGonagall in the morning, like we said. Lily might have found her way to Hogwarts already. Given things around here lately, I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't told us."

"Yeah." Sirius replied, still not certain. He brushed James' hair back with an air of brotherly affection, and threw an arm over Remus' shoulders, pulling his friend into his side. "Yeah…"


	14. AUTHORS NOTE

** Author's Note:**

It has come to my attention that some of the things I have written are not as clear as I would like. So, this little update is to clear things up a little bit.

One reviewer (you know who you are) asked me how Sirius and Remus could not have already heard from the Order that Lily was at Hogwarts. Here's a little timeline and an explanation to help with that.

Monday night - James arrived at HQ.  
>Tuesday - Lily is still in the graveyard, trying to get out. (Harry's dream in the next chapter takes place on Tuesday night)<br>Wednesday afternoon/evening - Lily makes it out of the graveyard and sleeps. (The scene afterwards of HQ happens on Thursday morning)  
>Thursday evening- Lily wakes and makes it to Hogwarts (Chapter 10, Harry's scene, should really be chapter nine, as it's set on Wed, night. I have changed this around now that I've noticed that...)<br>Thursday night - Snape finds her.  
>Friday - Lily is being healed<br>Saturday morning - Breakfast in the great hall discussing the oddness of Hogwarts. I made it Saturday because there were no Owls on that day, and it gives time for Harry and co to actually notice something. Lily is still in the care of the hospital wing.  
>Saturday evening - James wakes up.<p>

So, really, Lily has only been at Hogwarts for two days. On Friday, the teachers were more concerned with keeping Lily alive and out of the sight of Umbridge and her cronies. On Saturday, again, they are making sure that Lily is fine, as well as confirming Lily's identity, to be sure she isn't a death eater in disguise.

This is where a little suspension of disbelief is needed - I'm going to say that Remus and Sirius wore themselves out worrying over James and ended up sleeping for most of Saturday morning. Because Umbridge is monitoring the Floo system (which the boys don't know), the Order members at Hogwarts haven't been able to easily contact them via the network. Also, as they are all teachers, they wouldn't have been able to apparate over to see them without a legitimate excuse.

Which leaves to options for what happened, and you can go with either.  
>1. They sent an owl with a note which hasn't arrived yet, or which arrived on Saturday morning while they slept, left a note downstairs, then flew away again (although the post is inspected by Umbridge, remember). The note is yet to be discovered.<br>2. Someone from Hogwarts found a reason to leave the school to apparate, and headed to Grimmauld place. Knowing the situation, when they saw Remus and Sirius asleep after days of none at all, they were kind and let them sleep, and left them a note, which, again, they haven't found yet.

It's up to you which you think is more plausible.

Also, about the chapter sizes (which a lot of you comment on) You see, I started this a year ago, writing out by hand. When I wrote it out, I split it into sections, based on location, and when I started posting it, I decided to post it in those sections, rather than with chunks spliced together, because I think it works better for the tone of the story, and for my own personal writing style.

Ari


	15. Chapter 14

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**A/N: **Just for reference, this chapter occurs on the Tuesday after the last chapter (which was on Saturday). Please reference the timeline in my Authors Note if you are still lost.

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

The strange behaviour in the castle hadn't stopped at all over the past few days. It wasn't only Snape now. Harry had seen McGonagall smiling at him at breakfast, and all the teachers seemed incredibly cheering – at least, all the teachers in the Order. At meal times, it seemed as if Umbridge was the only one who was in a bad mood.

Hermione had voiced her opinion many times as to what could be the cause of all the commotion. It was her belief that Dumbledore had contacted the Order with good news. Ton agreed with her, as did Ginny, but Harry wasn't sure. He'd been feeling strange for some time now and it was _nothing _to do with Dumbledore.

Some of the curious older students had tried to sneak into the hospital wing to find out the cause of all the fuss. They always returned with dazed looks on their faces – clearly a result of being on the wrong side of Madam Pomfrey's wand. When questioned, all they would say was "Snape."

Luckily, the OWLs were nearly over. They had managed to get through their Potions and Care of Magical Creatures exams over the past few days, and there was only Astronomy and Divination the next day, and History of Magic on the Thursday, left to worry about. Hermione may have had more to come, but Harry didn't care.

Something was going on and no one would tell him what. It was Sirius' escape all over again, with everyone knowing more than they deserved to know about things that affected Harry.

Harry was struck by a sudden though.

"Guys, I'm just going up to the Owlery, alright?" Harry told Hermione and Ron. Ron just grunted in recognition, but Hermione sent him a disapproving look.

"Harry, this had better not be another quest to find out what's going on!" She scolded sternly. "If they need your help, they'll ask for it!"

"It's nothing like that, Hermione. I just remembered that I promised I'd send Sirius and Professor Lupin a letter about the exams." It was only slightly untrue, but Hermione would not be swayed.

"Send it after they're finished!" she snapped. "I _know_ you haven't studied any where near what you should have.

Harry would have made a comment about how Hermione really shouldn't be the judge of how much he needed to study, given she would study at least three times as much as him anyway, but he held his tongue. He reluctantly sat. She had a point, after all, however loathe he was to admit it.

The letter would wait.


	16. Chapter 15

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**A/N: **This chapter happens at the same time as the one before.

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

"I think Harry is starting to get suspicious." Professor McGonagall told Remus as she gracefully climbed out of the fireplace. Remus smiled in return, and handed her a cup of tea, made just the way she liked it.

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't," Remus replied. "Good evening, Minerva. Did you have much trouble getting away from Umbridge?"

McGonagall shook her head as she sipped the tea. "The woman was too caught up in a discussion with Filch about the clean from the Weasley twins' prank last week… That must have been the singular most astounding piece of spell-work I have ever seen them perform. A pity that you weren't there, Remus, you would have enjoyed it immensely, I would say."

"I would say that James and Sirius would definitely have enjoyed that more than they should. They're upstairs – shall we?"

McGonagall smiled, and followed Remus up the stairs and into the bedroom where the other two men were waiting.

"Minnie!" James and Sirius cheered happily. James was still bedridden, and Sirius was lounging on a chair next to him, his feet propped up on the bed.

"It's so good to see you again, it's been far too long!" Sirius sighed dramatically.

"Mr Black, Mr Potter, I saw you only a few hours ago!" McGonagall berated them jokingly, with a smile on her face.

"Only a few hours?" James asked surprised. "I could have sworn that it was much longer than that! How's Lily?"

"I have good news, James," McGonagall said, her voice full of kindness and joy. She looked at the man in front of her. He had left Hogwarts a boy, but he quickly grew into a man. She had missed him greatly after his death, and she had seen so much of him reflected in his son. A son who had also grown up far quicker than was natural. A son who would finally get to know his parents…

"Minnie?" Sirius asked, dragging McGonagall out of her thoughts.

"Sorry… Now, the good news… Lily woke up this morning." McGonagall stated.

"Really?" James asked, flinging himself from the bed. Sirius also rose, resting a hand on James' shoulder to support him should he become weak as had happened over the past few days. "How is she? Is she okay?"

"She was a little delirious at first, and she is still rather drained from the curse used upon you both," McGonagall replied. "But she seems to be doing well, and she does want to see you, of course."

"Is she up to having visitors?"

"Well, Poppy didn't want me to tell you – although she is a little possessive of her patients sometimes – but as her husband, we are legally obligated to allow you to visit your wife. Truthfully, we shouldn't even keep Harry from seeing her, but as he has not specifically requested that we let him in…"

"We all agreed that it has to be Sirius to tell him. You know how he'd reacted if someone else tried to say something. He's think it was a Death Eater trick or something." Remus stated.

"And it is just until the end of his exams, so Lily won't be annoyed he slackened off…" James said. "She'd be furious if she thought that we'd let Harry get away with not studying."

The three marauders chuckled at the mental image of Lily berating them for encouraging Harry to shirk off class.

"He's not a bad student, is he?" James asked. "I mean, I've seen it from an outsiders perspective, and I know his grades are good, but he isn't a complete pain to teach, is he?"

"James, Harry is the kindest student I've ever had the pleasure to teach – since his mother, that is. Apart from his problems with some of the Slytherins, he's a model student." McGonagall said. "Although, its rather strange – he seems to be out to not disappoint anyone, and he's genuinely upset when he does, but excluding DADA, he doesn't seem to want to do well."

"Yeah, I noticed that as well, when I taught him." Remus agreed. "He didn't want to stand out in class. I thought it was because he didn't want to upset Hermione, but he was happy to beat her in DADA."

"I know why." Sirius said. James nodded to show that he did too. "It's because of the Dursleys. They hated Harry when he did better than Dudley – which wasn't hard, mind you. Then, they yelled at him when he failed on purpose. So Harry has always been caught between his natural talent and the expectation of others."

"In DADA," James continued, "Harry is expected to be the best – so he doesn't mind rising to that level. But in other classes, he's limited to being at the level of almost everybody else because they don't want him to be better than that, don't expect him to be better than that."

"Like in Potions!" Remus exclaimed. "Lily was brilliant at Potions, because she used to cook as a child and she thought it was sort of similar to that… From what I've heard, Harry cooked all the time, and yet he is barely scraping by in Potions. But, once you take him out of the class environment, he excels. He and his friends brewed Polyjuice in their second year!"

"What?" McGonagall was shocked, but the others ignored her.

"Someone must have told Harry not to expect much from Snape – that he was unfair or something," Sirius declared.

"Percy Weasley, at Harry's sorting." James informed them. "The first lesson, he must have been testing to see if it was true… When Severus attacked him with questions he couldn't know, I guess Harry decided it wasn't worth his effort."

There was silence as the small group contemplated what they had heard. Without words, they agreed that something had to change. Harry deserved the chance to be the absolute best he could. And he could be brilliant.

"Anyway, I think it should be safe for the three of you to go visit Lily as soon as possible." McGonagall said. "Tonight would work, the students will be asleep so it won't risk you being seen. I'll find some way to get Dolores out of the school in the morning, the sooner you can get to Harry the better."

"Brilliant!" Sirius exclaimed. "We should take Tonks with us too. Make it look more official. Plus, she always said she would have loved to meet Lily, especially after she met Harry."

"I'm sure that would be quite acceptable. Is she here?" Remus nodded.

"She's sleeping, she had a report to hand in, and hardly slept until now." He stated.

"Floo over to the Hogs Head around midnight – and Sirius, don't risk it." McGonagall said.

Sirius nodded, and McGonagall smiled as she left.

It would be good to see the four of them together again. And it would be so good for Harry to finally meet his parents.


	17. Chapter 16

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**A/N: **This chapter is set on the night after the last chapter, around midnight. You can find the exact time by reading the chapter in OotP, I believe it is called OWLs. It's Wednesday night.

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

It was cold at the top of the astronomy tower at midnight, Harry decided. The fifth years were sitting their practical exam for astronomy and were all dressed in their warmest robes with several cloaks and scarves wrapped around them.

"Harry!" Hermione whispered from where she stood next to him, distracting Harry from his star-charts. He turned to give her an angry glare, then paused, seeing she wasn't looking his way. Confused, he followed her line of sight until he saw the source of the distraction.

Walking across the Hogwarts grounds were three cloaked figures, one with a raised hood, and a madly running dog. Harry was so shocked he didn't register the cries of Lavender and Parvati when they spotted the Grim.

"Is that Tonks?" Ron asked from Harry's other side – and indeed it was. The shocking pink hair stood out even in the darkness. "Why are they here, d'you reckon?"

As the group approached the doors, they were flung open and another figure, this one with red hair, flew out from the doorway and into the arms of the hooded figure, who held the newcomer close to their chest, wrapping the cloak around the two of them.

By that time, the majority of the students had seen the group. Some had turned their telescopes to the ground.

"It's Professor Lupin!" Dean gasped. "And some hot pink haired chick, and a dog, and I can't see the others."

Three more figures appeared in the castle entrance. One bustled over to the hugging couple. Harry knew even from a distance that this was Madam Pomfrey, and she was angry. Harry had his own telescope on the group as the next figures came into clearer focus.

Remaining in the doorway was Professor McGonagall, who appeared to be crying softly. The smile on her face revealed that they were tears of happiness. Beside her stood the severe form of Snape, who was also almost smile, although through his telescope, Harry could see the tenseness of this mouth and face. The potions master descended the stairs almost gracefully, and glided across the grass to the other members of the Order.

Harry turned his telescope back to the sky as the instructor scolded the class for its distraction. Who ever the two strangers were, they were definitely here for order business, and Harry would find out from Sirius - after he killed him for risking capture by coming into the school with Umbridge around – exactly why they had shown up.

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><p><strong>AN: **I just thought I should let you know, updates will be once weekly for the next few weeks. I'm sorry for that, but I have my Japanese speaking exam soon, then the writing exam straight after it, then about a thousand other exams and assessments. So I'll try to do my best to get the chapters churning out. There may be some short ones, but I think for the next few updates, they should be at least 1000 words. :)

Ari


	18. Chapter 17

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**A/N: **This chapter is set at the same time as the last one. I know it's been a while since updates, but I hope this will make up for it.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

The atmosphere was tense as Snape approached the marauders and Tonks. Sensing the tension, the metamorphmagus lead Madam Pomfrey away from the group and into the castle.

James still held Lily to his chest, and Padfoot circles around his feet, growling threateningly at Snape. Remus silenced the dog with a swift glare and a gentle hand in the soft fur of the dog's neck.

"Potter," Snap spat, standing as far from James as he could, without being to far away from Lily.

"Snape," James replied, his tone civil and with no hint of the enmity between the two of them which had been so common in their youth. "Before you say anything, please, let me speak.

"While I was dead, Lily told me about your childhood. I learnt much about the sort of person you truly are. I watched as guilt tore you apart, as you dealt with a life time of mistakes. I made your life hell at school, I have everything you ever wanted. I know that nothing I can say or do will ever end the resentment between us. But we need to put this aside, not for ourselves, but for Harry, for Hogwarts, and most importantly, for Lily."

James held his hand out, offering it to Snape. Severus stared at the outstretched hand, sneering in distaste, before he reached out and took it.

The handshale was short and tense, as both sides restrained themselves from breaking the others hand.

"Do not expect me to start worshipping you, Potter. The same goes for you, Black," Snape snarled, before pulling his hand away.

"The day that happens, I will see Voldemort marry a muggle and give up his life as a wizard," Remus spoke up. "Now, perhaps this conversation would be better held inside, where curious fifth years will not be ignoring their Astronomy OWL in order to gape at us."

The others looked up, caught sight of one of the flashing lenses of the telescopes which were spying on them, and quickly agreed. Lily held firmly onto James hand as they made their way inside the castle.

Madam Pomfrey was waiting just inside the Entrance hall, and as soon as the Potters were inside, she swooped down at them, herding them both, along with Remus and Sirius, towards the Hospital Wing, and shooed Snape back to the dungeon.

"And don't forget I need more Dreamless Sleep potion!" She called at the potion master's retreating back. "Right, now, I want you two straight into bed. Lord knows you shouldn't be up and about yet. And you!" She turned to James. "I'll be giving you a full check up! Who knows what horrible infections were lurking in that house, waiting to pry on poor, sick people…"

As Madam Pomfrey continued on about the dangers old houses posed to the health of the average wizard, Lily was busy trying to keep an enthusiastic Padfoot from tripping her up the stairs as he ran about underfoot. James and Remus, veterans at controlling Sirius when his 'doggy urges; overcame him, laughed at the dogs exuberance and pulled at the fur on the back of his neck in order to reel him back in. He looked up at them with his doggy eyes wide, then flopped his tongue out in a canine grin and licked James' hand.

"Eurgh! Padfoot, you filthy mutt!" James swore, and chased after the dog as it charged up the stairs. Lily hurried after them, calling at them to stop, don't you remember we can't be seen?

Remus and Madam Pomfrey followed at a more sedate pace, watching the mad ensemble with soft smiles.

"I keep forgetting how alike they are, James and Harry," Pomfrey whispered.

"I know what you mean, Remus replied. "Use to be I'd look at Harry and see James. Now, I look at James and see Harry. I can't help worrying that having them both back will be bad for Harry. He's idolised his parents his whole life, what if he's disappointed that they aren't as perfect as he hoped?"

"You know, I'd expect it to be James or Lily with those sorts of doubts," Pomfrey smiled. "But you know what? I'll tell you exactly what I'd tell them if they were here; there is no way Harry could be disappointed in them. Yes, he does idolise them, and he does have high expectations of who they are, but her really is nothing more than a little boy who misses his parents. I imagine it may take time, but he loves them so much already that he will never, ever, be disappointed to have them."

"Thank you, Poppy," Pomfrey and Remus turned to see Lily standing outside the doors to the Hospital Wing. "You're right, I had my doubts. I… I know Harry, I love him, so much, but I was so worried that he wouldn't want parents, that he'd be so used to being alone that he couldn't imagine what having parents would be like, that he wouldn't want to give up his independence."

"Lily, I cannot imagine anything he would want more that you and James." Remus replied "Lets not linger of might-be. I'm sure your husband and Sirius are making quite a mess of Poppy's Hospital Wing. It falls to us once more to hold back those to from whatever mayhem they may unleash. After you, I insist." He gestured at the door, and Lily, smiling, entered the Wing.

However, rather than being greeted by the sign of damage and destruction at the hands of James and Sirius, the sight that greeted the newcomers was far more serene.

James sat on the edge of one of the hospital beds, Sirius laying beside him with his heavy dog head resting on James' lap. One of James' arms was wrapped around the dog, stroking and scratching him between the ears, the other lightly tracing a graffiti etching on the side of the headboard. When the others came in, he looked up.

"I carved this in 6th year, after we won the quidditch cup." He said.

"I remember that. You took a bludger to the side only seconds before the game ended. You were to excited at the win to notice the pain." Remus added.

"Yes, and you had to be carried up here after you passed out on the pitch." Pomfrey interjected.

"I can't wait to tell harry that story, to tell him all about my time here." James explained. "I want to see him, so badly. His last exam is tomorrow – today now, I guess – please, can we see him then?"

Pomfrey cast a quick series of spells, and ushered the patients into bed.

"So long as you both rest easy tonight and during the day, Harry may come by in the evening." She decided. "And you had better take every one of the Immunity and Strength potions I give you, understood?"

"Understood." James replied.

"Yes," Lily agreed. Pomfrey nodded and left.

"Well, Sirius and I had better go find Tonks and head off to our rooms." Remus said. "We're going to see Harry at Breakfast, but we'll be back by lunch to discuss how we're going to explain all this to him."

"Goodnight." The Hospital Wing fell silent as her newest members succumbed to sleep.

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><p><strong>AN: **Right, so I'm back :) My exams etc went well, and now I have plenty of time, for the most part, until the end of the year. I've got the story planned out properly now, so I can tell you that it will be between 20-30 chapters long, and for the most part they will be long chapters. I promise you there will not be long gaps between updates again anytime soon.

See you on Thursday :)

Ari

PS: What are your thoughts on slash? I'm think of adding in some subtle (or not so subtle, but certainly not graphic) Remus/Sirius, but it's competing with Remus/Tonks. In terms of what I think I can write easily, I would say that R/S would be better, but I am aware that some people are strictly canon supporters. Let me know, please :)


	19. Chapter 18

**The Reward of the Phoenix**

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and all related characters and themes are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am making no money from this story. All I am getting is a cramped hand from writing and typing.

**A/N: **This chapter is set the morning after the last two - on the day of Harry, Ron and Hermione's History of Magic OWL...

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><p><strong>C<strong>**hapter 18**

Of all the things Harry had come to associate with Hogwarts, the noise, smell and sight of the Great Hall at breakfast was on of the ones he treasured most. There was something about the infectious joy and contentment of the school in the morning which almost never failed to cheer him. On the few occasions when he did find himself unable to overcome his sadness, namely, those times when the school turned against him for some reason, the food itself was enough to marginally lift his spirit.

This morning was no different. Tired from the late-night astronomy exam, worried about Sirius and sore from the aches and twinges coming from his scar, Harry tucked into his eggs and toast with the sort of enthusiasm which he only experienced at Hogwarts. Beside him, Ron was eating his breakfast with the same vigour, while Hermione was spooning mouthfuls of porridge with one hand, the other occupied with her History of Magic textbook, as she read and re-read everything.

"So," Ron mumbled around a mouthful of sausages, "Why do you think Lupin and Sir-" Harry kicked him under the table. "Ouch! I mean, _Snuffles_, are here?"

"Well, it has to be because of the Order." Hermione said. "Maybe they've heard something."

"Are you thinking that they've heard that Voldemort is on the move?" Harry asked. "It makes sense. Maybe they're here for security. Dumbledore is gone, for all we know, Voldemort could be planning to attack the school… But, I don't know. What about the man in the hood? Who's he, and what had he got to do with it all? Or the woman?" Harry was still angry at his godfather and former professor for risking their security by coming to the school. It was lucky that Umbridge had been called away from the school that morning.

"I'll bet my broomstick that she's the person who's been up in the Hospital Wing." Ron added. "I dunno who they are, but they must be important to the Order."

Harry was about to reply when Hermione poked him sharply in the side, pointing towards the door. Harry turned, and barely caught sight of a black blur before he found himself with a face full of dog.

"Snuffles, get off!" He laughed, pushing away his godfathers hairy snout. "Down boy! Professor Lupin, control your mutt, please!"

"It's Remus, Harry," The former teacher corrected, sliding into the seat beside Harry, grabbing two slices of fresh toast. "There is nothing like Hogwarts breakfast, is there? Here, _Snuffles_, have some toast."

The group was getting much attention. The first and second years were wondering who the newcomer was, and the older years were wondering why he was here, and why he had a dog with him. Whispers resounded around the hall, and once again, Harry Potter was the centre of attention.

"Bloody June," He said, more to himself then to his friends.

"So, what are you here for then, Professor?" Ron asked.

"Taking advantage of the lack of toads, that's all." Remus explained, nodding his head towards the staff table. "Visiting old friends, some new ones, and getting this mutt out of the house, to be honest. Got some homework for McGonagall." The werewolf was feeling particularly witty and sarcastic.

"It must be nice." Hermione said. "He looks quite happy. Must be the freedom."

"It's quite likely," Lupin agreed. "And we've had some good news this past week. Some unbelievably good news, to be honest."

The three shifted close to Remus, curious expressions on their faces. They were so invested in the conversation that even Hermione didn't hear the bell for them to prepare for their exam.

"Is it to do with the you-know-what?" Harry asked. Lupin smiled.

"Yes and no." He replied, and the twinkle of mischief in his eye was eerily reminiscent of the headmaster. "Now, that bell sounded like the one to send you off to your exams. Go on, and good luck." The three sighed, and got up. "Oh, and Harry? We'll meet you after the exam, there is something we should discuss."

Harry was curious, but agreed, and hurried out of the hall.


End file.
